Of nitroalkanes

The above are examples of the Claisen - Schmidt reaction. The formation of p-nitrostyrenes by reaction of nitroalkanes with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of aqueous alkali may be included under the Claisen- hmidt condensation ... 

Chemoselective C-alkylation of the highly acidic and enolic triacetic acid lactone 104 (pAl, = 4.94) and tetronic acid (pA, = 3.76) is possible by use of DBU[68]. No 0-alkylation takes place. The same compound 105 is obtained by the regioslective allylation of copper-protected methyl 3,5-dioxohexano-ate[69]. It is known that base-catalyzed alkylation of nitro compounds affords 0-alkylation products, and the smooth Pd-catalyzed C-allylation of nitroalkanes[38.39], nitroacetate[70], and phenylstilfonylnitromethane[71] is possible. Chemoselective C-allylation of nitroethane (106) or the nitroacetate 107 has been applied to the synthesis of the skeleton of the ergoline alkaloid 108[70]. 

A number of disinfectants apparentiy owe their activity to formaldehyde, although there is argument on whether some of them function by other mechanisms. In this category, the dmg with the longest history is hexamethylenetetramine (hexamine, urotropin) [100-97-0] which is a condensation product of formaldehyde and ammonia that breaks down by acid hydrolysis to produce formaldehyde. Hexamine was first used for urinary tract antisepsis. Other antimicrobials that are adducts of formaldehyde and amines have been made others are based on methylolate derivations of nitroalkanes. The apphcations of these compounds are widespread, including inactivation of bacterial endotoxin preservation of cosmetics, metal working fluids, and latex paint and use in spin finishes, textile impregnation, and secondary oil recovery (117). 

Conversion of nitroalkanes to carbonyl compounds by acidification of nilronates. 

The simplest method for obtaining selective fluonnation is to conduct reactions under conditions that invigorate the electrophilicity of fluorine In practice this method entails the creation of anionic or strongly nucleophilic reactive centers on substrate molecules while suppressing or reducing the tendency toward radical attack Numerous examples of seleetive fluorine attack on carbanionic, amido and carboxylato species are documented Especially abundant is alpha fluonnation of nitroalkanes in polar solvents [42 43, 44, 45 46] (equations 10-14)... 

Hydroxylamine can be prepared by a variety of reactions involving the reduction of nitrites, nitric acid or NO, or by the acid hydrolysis of nitroalkanes. In the conventional Raschig synthesis, an aqueous solution of NH4NO2 is reduced with HS04 /S02 at 0° to give the hydroxylamido-A ,A -disulfate anion which is then hydrolysed stepwise to hydroxylammonium sulfate ... 

Nitrodesilyladcn fEq. 2.17 and nitrodeslanyiadon fEq. 2.18 are ef cienl methods for the preparadon of some lands of nitroalkanes from readily available alkylsilanes or ailylslan-nanes. Similar nitradon also lakes place al the vinylic posidons fsee Eq. 2.36 in Secdon 2.1.4. ... 

Another method for improving the reactivity of nitro compounds is provided by the double deprotonadon of nitroalkanes. In this case, the reacdon with ketones affords fi-nitro alcohols in 4Q-6Q% yield CEq.d.lQi ... 

An alternative method for the stereoselective preparadon of 1,2-diamines is shown in Eq 4 29, in which the addidon of nitroalkanes to imines is used as a key reacdon... 

The Michael addidon of nitroalkanes to nitroalkenes is catalyzed by triethylamine to give 1,3-dirutro compounds fEq. 4.45. In some cases, the intramolecular displacement of thenitro group takes place to give cyclic nitronates fEq. 4.46. ... 

Tetraalkylairunonium fluorides or metal fluorides are also effective as catalysts for the Michael addition of nitroalkanes fsee. Table 4.2. ... 

Although acyl imidazoles can be replaced by phenyl esters in some cases," acyl imidazoles are more effecdve for the acyladon of nitroalkanes A combinadon of diethyl phosphorcyani-dates and triethylamime allows the direct C-acyladon of nitromethane by aromadc carboxylic... 

Because the anioas of nitroalkanes are stable, retro-acyladoc smoothly In the presence of a base catalyst. This type of reacdo organic synthesis." Nucleophilic attack of water or alcohol to ct-the ring cleavage v/ith the formadon of Oj-nitro acids and Oj-niti... 

Reacdons of nitrothiazole derivatives v/ith anions of nitroalkanes, such as shovm in Eq 5 34, proceed via a Spj l mechanism... 

Alkyl mercury halides participate in a photo-sdmidated rathcM chain reacdon of the anion of nitroalkanes Isee Eq. 5.38 in which a 375-W sun lamp Is used." Primary, secondary, and ternary alkyl rathcMs generated from alkyl mercury halides react with the anion of ttitroalkanes to form new C-C bonds. 

In general, heterocyclic nitro compounds undergo cine snbsdtudon reacdons more readily than nltrobenzenes For example, the reacdon of 5-acyl- or 5-alkoxycarbonyl-2-nitrofurans v/ith the anion of nitroalkanes gives cine snbsdtudon products in excellent yields fEq 5 66 ... 

Although the base-catalyzed addition of nitroalkanes to electron-deficient olefins has been extensively used in organic synthesis fsee Michael addition Chapter 4, it is only recently that the reaction has been extended to the cyclopropanadon reaction. In 1978, it was reported that the anion of nitromethane reacts with certain highly electron-deficient olefins to produce cycloptopanesingoodyieldrEq. 7.36. More recently, this reaction has been extended to more general cyclopropanadons, as shown in Eqs. 7.37 and 7.38, in which potassittm salts of nitroalkanes are employed in DMSO as alkylidene transfer reagents." ... 

Alttmina-supported KF is an effecdve reagent for Michael addidon of nitroalkanes to electron-deficient olefins. Subsequent cycloalkyladons afford cyclopropanes.However, the reacdo n of a,fi-ttnsantrated ketones v/ithnitroalkanesin the presence of KF-A1,0 in acetonitrile gives 4,5-dihydrofliranes fEq. 7.39. ... 

Scheme 7.5. BusSnH-catalyzed reduction of nitroalkanes to alkanes...

The Michael addition of nih oalkanes to alkenes substituted with two elecbon-withdrawing groups at the a- and 3-positions provides a new method for the preparation of functionalized alkenes. Although reactions are not new, Ballini and coworkers have used this sbategy in the synthesis of polyfunctionalized unsaturated carbonyl derivatives by Michael addition of nih oalkanes to enediones as shown in Eqs. 7.124-7.126. Success of this type of reaction depends on the base and solvent. They have found that DBU in acetonihile is the method of choice for this puipose. This base-solvent system has been used widely in Michael additions of nitroalkanes to elechon-deficient alkenes (see Section 4.3, which discusses the Michael addition). ... 

Nitroedianeundergoes base-catrilyzed addidon to to give3-hydroxy-l,3-dihydrofu]leryl ketoxime by way of a unique intramolecidar redox process, which is not observed in normal electron deficient alkenes fEq. S.77. " FSee Secdon 4.3 Michael addidon of nitroalkanes. ... 

All of these reacdons ptoceed in a similar pathway which involves the Michael type addidons of enamines to nitroalkenes or addidon of nitroalkanes to Imines and cyclizadon. This process has been achieved by solid-phase variadon fScheme 10.2. ... 

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